Movies like The Happiness Machine (2018)
The best movies like The Happiness Machine (2018) are Flash of Genius (2008), Smoke Signals (1998) and Butter (2012). If The Happiness Machine hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDances with Wolves (1990)7.8/10 from 4,909 votes
- NewestTerror on the Prairie (2022)Released 2022
Flash of Genius (2008)
In this David vs. Goliath drama based on a true story, college professor Robert Kearns goes up against the giants of the auto industry when they fail to give him credit for inventing intermittent windshield wipers. Kearns doggedly pursues recognition for his invention, as well as the much-deserved financial rewards for the sake of his wife and six kids.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSmoke Signals (1998)
Young Native American man Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories no-one wants to hear. His parents died in a fire in 1976, and Thomas was saved by Arnold. Arnold soon left his family, and Victor hasn't seen his father for 10 years. When Victor hears Arnold has died, Thomas offers him funding for the trip to get Arnold's remains.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisButter (2012)
An adopted girl discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman in their Iowa town's annual contest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisFollow That Dream (1962)
When the Kwimper family car runs out of fuel on a new Florida highway and an officious state supervisor tries to run them off, Pop digs in his heels and decides to do a little homesteading. He, his son Toby and their 'adopted' children—Holly, Ariadne, and the twins—start their own little community along a strip of the roadside.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTomorrowland (2015)
Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as "Tomorrowland."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPollyanna (1960)
A young girl comes to an embittered town and confronts its attitude with her determination to see the best in life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBilly Two Hats (1974)
After a bank robbery, runaway Scottish outlaw Arch Deans and his young half-breed Kiowa partner Billy Two Hats develop a father-son relationship, but Sheriff Henry Gifford is determined to capture or kill them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisDances with Wolves (1990)
Wounded Civil War soldier John Dunbar tries to commit suicide—and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he's assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMan Without a Star (1955)
A wandering cowboy gets caught up in a range war.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Big Man (1970)
Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, tells of his life being raised by Indians and fighting with General Custer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChristmas Inheritance (2017)
To inherit her father's company, socialite Ellen must first visit his small hometown, where she learns the value of hard work and helping others.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Indian Fighter (1955)
A scout leading a wagon train through hostile Indian country gets involved with a Sioux chief's daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTamara Drewe (2010)
A young newspaper writer returns to her hometown in the English countryside, where her childhood home is being prepped for sale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisOdd Thomas (2013)
In a California desert town, a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities encounters a mysterious man with a link to dark, threatening forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Inventor Flint Lockwood creates a machine that makes clouds rain food, enabling the down-and-out citizens of Chewandswallow to feed themselves. But when the falling food reaches gargantuan proportions, Flint must scramble to avert disaster. Can he regain control of the machine and put an end to the wild weather before the town is destroyed?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
An imaginary world comes to life in a holiday tale of an eccentric toymaker, his adventurous granddaughter, and a magical invention that has the power to change their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShane (1953)
A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smouldering settler and rancher conflict forces him to act.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStars in My Crown (1950)
An orphaned man recalls his upbringing with his aunt and her husband, the parson, in a small Western town during the Reconstruction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Titfield Thunderbolt (1953)
When British Railways announce the closure of the Titfield to Mallingford branch line a group of local residents make a bid to run it themselves, backed by a monied member of the community who is attracted by the complete lack of licensing hours on trains. Unfortunately the local bus company starts to use methods that can hardly be seen as fair competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTerror on the Prairie (2022)
A pioneering family fights back against a gang of vicious outlaws that is terrorizing them on their newly-built farm on the plains of Montana.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Happiness Machine?
The closest matches to The Happiness Machine are Flash of Genius (2008), Smoke Signals (1998) and Butter (2012). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Happiness Machine?
Start with Flash of Genius (2008), the closest match to The Happiness Machine.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Happiness Machine?
Dances with Wolves (1990), rated 7.8/10 by 4,909 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Happiness Machine?
Terror on the Prairie (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Happiness Machine?
Yes: Flash of Genius (2008), Smoke Signals (1998) and Butter (2012).
How are movies similar to The Happiness Machine chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Happiness Machine, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.